# 위

| 위 | U+C704, &#50948; HANGUL SYLLABLE WI |
| Composition: | ㅇ + ㅟ |
| ← 윃 [U+C703] | Hangul Syllables | 윅 → [U+C705] |
위윅윆윇윈윉윊 윋윌윍윎윏윐윑 윒윓윔윕윖윗윘 윙윚윛윜윝윞윟 :
| 웨 ← | → 유 |

## Korean
### Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 웋 (wùh), from Old Korean 上只 (*WUk). Cognate with Jeju 우 (u).
In the hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 웋 (Yale: wùh).

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [ɥi] ~ [y]
* Phonetic hangul: [위]
* South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 위의 / 위에 / 위까지Syllables in red take high pitch. This word takes low pitch only before consonant-initial multisyllabic suffixes.

#### Noun

| South Korean Standard Language | 위 (wi) |
| North Korean Standard Language | 우 (u) |
위 • (wi)
* above, upper, upside, top
    Antonym: 아래 (arae)
    위까지 ― wi-kkaji ― to the top
    위로 ― wi-ro ― toward the top
    위부터 ― wi-buteo ― from the top
    위에 ― wi-e ― on the top
    저는 종이 위에 사자를 그리고 있습니다. ― Jeoneun jong'i wie sajareul geurigo itseumnida. ― I am painting a lion on a paper.

##### Derived terms

* 물위 (murwi)
* 손위 (sonwi)
* 아래위 (araewi)
* 위아래 (wiarae)
* 위쪽 (wijjok)
* 위층 (wicheung)
* 위턱 (witeok)
* 위팔 (wipal)
* 윗 (wit)

### Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 胃.

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [ɥi] ~ [y]
* Phonetic hangul: [위]

#### Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 胃)
* stomach
    Synonym: 위장(胃臟) (wijang)

##### Derived terms

* See the hanja entry at 胃 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (胃, wi).

### Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 位.

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [ɥi] ~ [y]
* Phonetic hangul: [위]

#### Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 位)
* status, position
    Synonym: 지위(地位) (jiwi)

#### Counter

위 • (wi) (hanja 位)
* rank, place
    Synonym: 등(等) (deung)

#### Derived terms

* See the hanja entry at 位 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (位, wi).

### Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 緯.

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [ɥi] ~ [y]
* Phonetic hangul: [위]

#### Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 緯)
* (geography) Short for 위도(緯度) (wido, “latitude”).
    Antonym: 경(經) (gyeong, “longitude”)

##### Derived terms

* See the hanja entry at 緯 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (緯, wi).

### Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 委.

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [ɥi] ~ [y]
* Phonetic hangul: [위]

#### Suffix

—위 • (-wi) (hanja 委)
* Short for 위원회(委員會) (wiwonhoe, “committee”).

##### Derived terms

* See the hanja entry at 委 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (委, wi).

### Etymology 6

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

#### Syllable

위 • (wi)
* 位:
    (MC reading: 位 (MC hwijH))
* 倭:
    (MC reading: 倭 (MC 'jwe))
* 偉:
    (MC reading: 偉 (MC hjw+jX))
* 偽:
    (MC reading: 偽 (MC ngjweH))
* 僞:
    (MC reading: 僞 (MC ngjweH))
* 危:
    (MC reading: 危 (MC ngjwe))
* 厃:
    (MC reading: 厃 (MC tsyem))
* 叞:
    (MC reading: 叞)
* 喟:
    (MC reading: 喟 (MC khwijH|khweajH))
* 噅:
    (MC reading: 噅 (MC xjwe))
* 噕:
    (MC reading: 噕)
* 囗:
    (MC reading: 囗 (MC hjw+j))
* 囲:
    (MC reading: 囲)
* 圍:
    (MC reading: 圍 (MC hjw+j|hjw+jH))
* 委:
    (MC reading: 委 (MC 'jwe|'jweX))
* 威:
    (MC reading: 威 (MC 'jw+j))
* 幃:
    (MC reading: 幃 (MC hjw+j))
* 慰:
    (MC reading: 慰 (MC 'jw+jH))
* 暐:
    (MC reading: 暐 (MC hjw+jX))
* 渭:
    (MC reading: 渭 (MC hjw+jH))
* 為:
    (MC reading: 為 (MC hjwe|hjweH))
* 煒:
    (MC reading: 煒 (MC hjw+jX))
* 熨:
    (MC reading: 熨 (MC 'jw+jH|'jut))
* 爲:
    (MC reading: 爲 (MC hjwe|hjweH))
* 瑋:
    (MC reading: 瑋 (MC hjw+jX))
* 痿:
    (MC reading: 痿 (MC 'jwe|nywe))
* 緯:
    (MC reading: 緯 (MC hjw+jH))
* 胃:
    (MC reading: 胃 (MC hjw+jH))
* 萎:
    (MC reading: 萎 (MC 'jwe|'jweH))
* 葦:
    (MC reading: 葦 (MC hjw+jX))
* 葳:
    (MC reading: 葳 (MC 'jw+j))
* 蒍:
    (MC reading: 蒍 (MC hjweX))
* 蔚:
    (MC reading: 蔚 (MC 'jw+jH|'jut))
* 蔿:
    (MC reading: 蔿)
* 蝟:
    (MC reading: 蝟 (MC hjw+jH))
* 衛:
    (MC reading: 衛 (MC hjwejH))
* 衞:
    (MC reading: 衞 (MC hjwejH))
* 袆:
    (MC reading: 袆)
* 褘:
    (MC reading: 褘 (MC xjw+j))
* 諉:
    (MC reading: 諉 (MC nrjweH))
* 謂:
    (MC reading: 謂 (MC hjw+jH))
* 逶:
    (MC reading: 逶 (MC 'jwe))
* 違:
    (MC reading: 違 (MC hjw+j))
* 闈:
    (MC reading: 闈 (MC hjw+j))
* 韋:
    (MC reading: 韋 (MC hjw+j))
* 韙:
    (MC reading: 韙 (MC hjw+jX))
* 韡:
    (MC reading: 韡 (MC hjw+jX))
* 餧:
    (MC reading: 餧 (MC nwojX|'jweH))
* 魏:
    (MC reading: 魏 (MC ngjw+jH))

## Middle Korean
### Etymology

Probably imitative. Compare English oi, Japanese おい (oi).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ǔj/

### Interjection

위 (wǔy) (Idu script 爲 or 偉)
* An interjection which appears in certain poems.
** 1330, 안축/安軸 [An Chuk], 關東別曲/관동별곡 [Gwandong byeolgok, Song of the Lands East of the Pass]:爲(위〯) 四(ᄉᆞ〯)海(ᄒᆡ〯) 天(텬)下(하〯) 無(업〯)豆(두〮)舍叱(샷)多(다〮)WǓY SǑ.HǑY THYÈN.HǍ ĚP.TWÚ.SYÀS.TÁO, it does not exist [anywhere else] between the four seas under Heaven!
** 16th century [14th century?], “[思母曲/사모곡] [Jeongseok-ga]”, in 樂章歌詞/악장가사 [Akjang gasa]:아바님도 어이어신 마ᄅᆞᄂᆞᆫ 위 덩더둥셩 어마님 ᄀᆞ티 괴시리 업세라apa-nim-two ei-Gesin malonon wuy tengtetwungsyeng ema-nim kothi kwoysil_i epseylaMy father is my parent, too wuy tengtetwungsyeng But there is none to love me like my mother does.